


Priceless

by kyburg



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Gen, Maria Stark's A++ Parenting, Ocean, Science Bros, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, What's it worth to ya?, Writing to tumblr prompts, sciencebrosweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 17:35:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4109299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyburg/pseuds/kyburg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's it really worth to you?</p><p>Part of Science Bros Week 2015<br/>(blame CharityLambkin, I'm just coming in late to the party)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Priceless

**Author's Note:**

> For Science Bros Week 2015. Today's prompt is "Ocean."
> 
> All of these stories are set in the MCU between Avengers and AoU.

He should have known from the first that when it came to money - dollars and cents - Tony Stark was always going to know more about the value of money than being a billionaire. Even when he had defined himself that way right off the bat.

It didn't really register. It was a thing, a line of description. Standing in the living room of the Malibu house, Bruce Banner looked out at the perfect view of the ocean, listening to the surf roar at the foot of the cliff it was built on and thought about the trip getting there.

" _Fly_ there? You're going to put me inside aircraft - you know, the small private kind? You really want to do that?"

"No, don't want to do that." The words came out fast, clipped. Tony had stood in the garage next to his car after they had arrived at Stark Tower, just having waved good-bye to Thor, Loki and every other Avenger they knew and had returned there, despite having to reroute and often drive on sidewalks to get there around the damage. Tony, still wearing his sunglasses, shook his head and rocked back on his heels. "No, not the small private kind. My kind. See, I might design quinjets for SHIELD, but I also build my own. Bigger. Better. Nicer. Promise. Matter of fact, might be a good thing for you go aboard one, check it out. Field test it, tell me what it needs. Could be a big help, you know. Want you to."

Very badly, it would seem. 

He'd mentioned thinking about the calming effect of the sound of the ocean on the drive over. Tony had avidly agreed, telling him that it - among other points - had decided where he had built his house in Malibu. "And we should go there, right now once we're done here. Already told Pepper. She's meeting me at the airport. Go with us, unless you got someplace to - "

Of course not. Bringing Bruce back to the Tower had been for his benefit. And now that Bruce had accepted the offer of a trip to Malibu? Taking only enough time to ensure the Tower was in good hands, all the rebuilding efforts were underway and didn't need any input or oversight, they quickly boarded another car to the airport without thinking twice about it. Very simple, easy to do and let's go - right now, why wait? What? A cab? "No, Bruce, not this time. You had issues with private aircraft? I have problems with private cars I don't own, come on - hop. It's all good, I promise." Frankly, Bruce was surprised Tony wasn't driving again, but then you'd have to park the car at the airport...and yadda yadda ya, no. "Big car with wings, Bruce. Very tall bus. Take your pick. You'll love it, or I'll fix it so you can't help yourself."

Yes, Tony's version of the quinjet was indeed larger, roomier and better appointed. Perhaps he should have assumed that the engineer would be an excellent pilot as well as he quickly took command of the aircraft, ran system checks and inspections rapid fire with the onboard version of his AI. His new friend loved to fly, it was in every move he made. Should have known.

Tony hadn't asked about the price of jet fuel. Or whether everything was stocked in the galley. When they were joined by Pepper Potts, she came aboard with only with a quick, blindingly-bright smile before she matter-of-factly reached into the cabinets to hand Bruce both a bottle of water and a cheese sandwich. "If you need to know where anything is, just ask me," she'd said. "I pay the bills, so I know where everything is."

"I don't know _what_ everything is," he'd answered, bemused. "This is...nice."

"Unexpected," she'd said, nodding. "We're nice. JARVIS relayed what he knew of what you like to eat. That's all."

"We didn't buy out Whole Foods, big guy, no worries. Wouldn't fit onboard anyway and we'd never get off the ground."

"Ha ha." 

But he hadn't expected to nod off, or sleep so soundly. When he woke, it was to two smiling faces who both greeted him, complimented him and fed him tidbits of fresh fruit, breads and cheese. Not afraid of him, and very fond of him. It was every bit as disconcerting as waking up in a pile of broken concrete blocks. Tastier, though.

And now, here he stood - and the ocean was _noisy_. Loud, crashing waves with no respite. So loud the windows rattled, and looking out them? The drop was dizzying. How had he ever though this was going to be relaxing?

"What's up, big guy? You look annoyed." A nudge at his hand meant a glass of iced peppermint tea needed to be taken, while Tony sipped at a glass of his own. Heaven knows what was in it. Alcoholic? Maaaaybe.

"Nothing, really. Just - it's so loud. Didn't remember the ocean being..."

"Noisy. Well, some days that's just the way it goes. Storm offshore a few days ago, it'll quiet down again soon." Following Bruce's line of sight, Tony took a long pull at his own glass, the ice clinking against the rim just slightly louder than the whooosh of the waves pulling back outside. "I don't try to cover it up," the engineer said calmly. "It's humbling, in a way. Too rough for surfing, too rough for sailing but it'll pass. Not something in my control - so don't ask me to turn it down, okay? Actually had someone here once ask me to do that."

"Eeeyeah, I can imagine that," Bruce answered, "But current company knows better than that, I hope you realize."

"Of course. That's why you're here and I'm enjoying this so much. Don't have to dumb it down for you." Walking to the edge of the room, right up to the window, Tony cocked his head a bit, looking up the coastline with one hand fisted into the small of his back as he took another sip from the glass as his eyes disengaged and looked off into midspace. "Could lock down this entire coastline, put breakers - oh - couple miles out or so - stop the wave action entirely, put something in that would make perfect waves on command? Could do it. Not a big project, not even hard - but.

Here, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Bruce, dark eyes dancing. "Don't want to. That's not what money's for."

"Seems the rest of the day's gone just how you wanted - why not that too? If you don't mind the question, of course."

"Of course, Dr. Banner. Not at all. I did do my homework, you don't have to tell me your life's story - hell, I'm certain you know mine, so why waste the time going over some of the most awful..." Stopping abruptly, Tony looked down, his eyes closing briefly as he took a deep breath through his nose. "You deserve to stand tall, big guy. Like a tree in a forest, taller than anything surrounding you, strong and sure of yourself. I know why that's not happening today but I'm not letting go of it. Never will. I'm right. You're amazing. Me? It feels like directing traffic, some days. Billionaire. Philanthropist. The playboy stuff was just to irk Spangles, you understand. But remember - philanthropist comes after billionaire, and it always will.

"Billionaire came first, and it wasn't my idea."

The iced tea was as delicious as it smelled. Fresh scented, tasted better - not something made from a box that sat on the shelf until it was empty. "I'm sure you've run into a few people who would happily trade places with you."

"I do them a favor by not taking them up on it. Or laughing at them. You understand."

"Of course."

Between waves, it was quiet enough for Bruce to sense - but not exactly hear - Pepper working in the small office off behind them, soft discussion on the phone mixed with the quiet tapping of her keyboard. The sun was still bright outside, but Bruce suspected sunset would be beyond expectations when it happened.

"Money can make opportunities where none existed," Tony murmured as Bruce stepped up to his side at the window. "It can grease the wheels - so to speak. It can buy time, expertise."

"It can buy people." There, he'd said it. But instead of taking the barb as it was intended, Tony's eyes only narrowed a bit as he considered the statement. Somewhat abashed, Bruce found himself shifting his weight as he looked away. "Sorry, that wasn't nice - "

"Or accurate. Really - well, to put a fine point on it," he said, then turned and looked at Bruce, the eyes twinkling at him. "It can make things nice for people, and maybe that's enough. To buy them, as you said. I wouldn't know. I've never known a day when anyone could come up with something I couldn't get on my own much easier."

"Or invent a better version of."

"You flatter me, but I like it." But the lips quirked upward before Tony finished the rest of his drink, still looking back at Bruce with absolute shenanigans dancing in his eyes. "True, nonetheless. We're going to invent some crazy amazing things, you and I. I'm sure of it. So glad I met you."

Tony had only offered. Up to this point, Tony had offered - not insisted on. Not given to him, not gifted, not deeded over, not contracted - 

So far, even food had only been offered. A bag of dried blueberries - want some? But it was clear Tony wanted something from Bruce - but wasn't going to try to take it from him.

"Bruce, I - " The other man looked away, eyes narrowing again as he considered the next mouthful of words. "Don't worry about asking. Or taking. There's enough. There's more than enough, every single day - so much, I can screw up and bury everyone in it. But I don't. I don't because someone taught me a lesson, real young that's never left me. Want to hear it? Nevermind, you need to get this one. Trust me.

"You know my Dad, right? Okay, forget him for a moment. This is about my Mom." Absently noticing his glass was empty, Tony crossed to the bar to empty the glass into the sink, put fresh ice into it - and then surprised Bruce by filling the glass with plain soda water. Taking a drink from the glass, then topping it off again, Tony came back to Bruce's side, already in mid-gesture before he started talking again. "Dad liked to talk about being a self-made man, that's all bunk. Yes, he built the company up from nearly nothing but that was because his father lost it all in the stock market crash of '29 because he was a dumbass. Howard Stark, senior - made bank during the first world war, he was the original Daddy Warbucks and don't forget it Bruce. But he was a dumbass, gambled and lost it all and people forget that part. 

"So Dad grew up hungry, which is good in a way but when my Mom showed up? She made a honest man out of him, if she couldn't make him a decent human being." 

There were few accessories in the living room at Stark's house in Malibu, just some accent pieces here and there that had little actual personality to them. They made the room look nice, like something out of an Architectural Digest magazine - expensive things, well-crafted but utterly without any unique characteristics of their own. Whether it was to set off the pacing inventor who lived among them, Bruce couldn't say. There was a lot of room to pace in it. Noticing his hands had found each other after putting the now empty glass down nearby, Bruce folded them, allowing them to fall against himself as he consciously watched Tony, knowing he would turn to see if Bruce was paying attention. It was simple coin, after all - Bruce could always pay attention.

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention your mother. Unless it was about work related to the foundation that bears her name, naturally."

"And of course, I actually had one - like anyone else walking around. Naturally - but that's not what people ought to know about Maria Stark. Maria Stark knew the value of money, dollars and cents. Sweat labor. How much a loaf of bread cost."

Befuddled, Bruce only shook his head in confusion. "Are you telling me she grew up - "

"Richer than my Dad ever dreamed of - old money, from waaaay back Brucie. No, not my mother. Silver spoons, finishing schools, country clubs - all of that. Stuff Dad just thought was all icing on the cake, she brought that with her when she married him. But Mom was clever - you see. She might have come from money, but she also came from very smart people too. 

"She schooled me one day, and later told me her mother had taught her the very same lesson the same way." Swirling the glass, Tony continued to aimlessly mark off the perimeter of the room until he reached Bruce's side again. 

"I was a little prick, oh about seven or eight years old one day when I tried to fire everyone in the house because I couldn't find a toy or something and I was totally cheezed off about it. I loudly announced to anyone who was in earshot about how much more money I had than any of them, how much better I was because of that fact and my mother came into the room - I'd never seen her so angry - dismissed everybody, apologized and told them she was taking over for the rest of the day. For me, that was sort of a win - to be honest - Mom was usually busy, didn't have a lot of time for me and now I had her all to myself. Total win. Thought I'd figured out a great way to get Mom's attention - she wasn't going to be that mad for long, right?"

Bruce found himself smiling. "Did you get a spanking?"

"Sounded like I needed one, huh? Dad would have. Funny thing about my mother. She could get better results with just a look." 

Bruce could see that, noting how Tony was currently staring a hole through him. Then Tony turned away and continued to stroll through the room, gesturing with both hands, one still holding the glass of ice water. 

"Mom sat me down at my little kid table, removed everything from it - toys, clothes, electronics, even the floral arrangements. Took all of it out of my room, herself. Then she set a place for me at the table - plate, fork, knife, spoon, cup?

"And filled them with money. Coins, mostly. Some bills. That's all. Told me to take a good look at it and then left the room."

A thoughtful moment later, Tony stopped and looked at the floor, absently swirling his glass. "Fifteen minutes later, I started sorting them out. Twenty minutes later, I was wondering what the deal was. Thirty minutes later - she opened the door, made eye contact and nodded. Then closed the door again. She came back again - just to make sure I was still there, hadn't set myself on fire or something, but left me alone with all that cash."

"What was she expecting you do with it, anyway?" 

"Well, it wasn't as much fun as building things with Lego blocks. After the first hour, Mom stopped coming in herself. Jarvis did - come to think of it. Looked down his nose at me, my ill-gotten gains and told me dinner was going to be in less than an hour."

"Nobody asked you to apologize? What - "

"Hang on, I'm getting there. Two hours is for-fucking-ever when you're eight. Nobody abandoned me, nobody forgot about me - but. When it came time for dinner? Mom came in, checked on me - and I asked, mind you. I asked what the gig was - but being eight, I was a dumbass. She said - nicely, Mom was a nice lady - that I had what I'd said about money was the most important thing in the world. I had all the money, and she had hoped it had made me happy. It had bored the living shit out me, but I didn't say that - 

"I told her I was finished and wanted to go with her, have dinner. Simple, right? She told me I had everything, I had all that money right there in front of me - what did I need with anything else?"

"You didn't offer - "

"Course I did. I was a dumbass. I thought that was the game. Mom was great - she just declined politely and told me she wasn't for sale. Then left. Me, I sat there for a moment and promptly stuffed my pockets and went looking for someone to give it to. Every last person - from Jarvis, to the cooks and maids - declined politely to give me the time of day. It wasn't until one of them mentioned that none of the money Mom'd left me with was American currency that I started to catch on. I had all the money - and that was all I had. It was completely useless to everyone, including me."

"What happened after that?"

"Got good and mad and went back to my room, slammed the door and sulked through dinner. Smart, but not smart enough yet to figure out being a prick had gotten me into that mess. Not all that surprising, right? You've met me, right?"

Chuckling, Bruce had to smile at him. "Sure."

"Then I got hungry. And, quite by accident I'm sure - "

"Oh, sure."

"Dinner wasn't for sale."

"Naturally."

"Now, I know what happens when you swallow coins - it's not something you want to repeat. So - I can't buy dinner in my own home, and I can't eat what's in front of me. Very elegant life lesson, Mom."

"So what happened? What did you do after that?"

"Asked my Mom for help." Turning to look Bruce in the eye, Tony shrugged artlessly. "I thought I knew everything, obviously I didn't and she wanted something from me to fix it. I asked Mom for help. I can't eat money, Mom - "

"And she gave you dinner?"

"She made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and we had a long talk." Spinning the glass around, noticing that it had emptied again, Tony didn't move to fill it but looked into the ice sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. "I remember how good that sandwich tasted, and don't tell anyone I said this - but I haven't forgotten how ashamed I was of myself either. Wish the lesson had stuck a little deeper, but once I was out of the nursery, we didn't talk much. She loved me so much, Bruce. Dad might have been tough to deal with, but she was tougher - she wanted things out of me, important things. Because my mother... _loved_ me, she set me up to take a life lesson like that so I'd never forget it."

"I'd miss her, too."

"You miss your Mom."

"Oh, sure. I'm not selfish enough to want her back, though. Under the circumstances - "

"Yeah." The light finally fading on the day, the room was beginning to turn shades of light pink and orange, the anticipated sunset beginning to make its appearance. "I'm selfish enough, though. I know her son. Wish I'd met her. He's a real stand-up guy. You've met him, right?"

"Once or twice," Bruce answered softly, looking down at the floor. "Is that why you didn't just give me anything? Or insist on trying to fix my little problem for me?"

Another artless shrug on the part of the engineer as he looked away, then Tony looked back out of the corner of his eye. "I want to be friends. I'll smooth the way for you if I can, I'll offer you anything in the world you can make use of - but for no other reason than you are who you are, and you deserve it. Not just for me, but for what you do for anyone crossing your path - and I know about those people, too. Tallest tree in the forest, Bruce. Mean it."

"I'll...take that under consideration."

"Won't ever let go of it. I'm right. You're amazing." Tony said that last with a little lift of his chin that Bruce had learned signaled Tony was about to pronounce judgement on an idea, and wouldn't be swayed. To him, this was now a Thing, a Fact. It was too good an opportunity to miss.

"And you'd know - " Bruce started.

"Genius, remember."

"Modest, too."

"No."

"Honest?"

"Mostly."

"Ah." Watching the lighting come up in the floor, signalling sundown was rapidly approaching, Bruce felt the tug what he was leaving unsaid pull at him. Really, this was all very nice, but.

"Tony, I might not be the best person to have for a friend - "

"The Other Guy loves me more than you do. Not worried. All I want to do is be nice, okay? Won't insist on anything."

"You make it hard to refuse," he answered reluctantly. "Most of the time, you're right."

"All the time, Brucie. I'm right, all the time." The look Tony gave him was all mischief, but it was serious too. A slow blink later, he added "Keep me honest, and say no when I offer something money isn't for, okay?"

"Philanthropist came second, and it wasn't your idea."

"Exactly. That's what make you amazing, Bruce. I don't have to dumb it down for you."

Hearing Pepper yawn and close down her computer in the other room, Bruce considered the sunset as he found a chair to sit in, watching Tony look off into the distance.

"How much does a loaf of bread cost, Tony?"

The other man might have flinched, just a bit as he ducked his head before answering but his eyes were clear, bright and calm when he looked back at Bruce. "You can get a loaf of bread for less than a buck, most places here in the States. Minimum wage, selling your time, you have to work an hour or two to afford one, if you factor in transportation to the store and a place to store it - that sort of thing. You want to give people a loaf of bread, you have to consider those things - Mom's Foundation kind of does that sort of thing, you know. Don't tell anyone, but it's kind of a thing with me."

"Not a soul. Your public image of being totally out of touch with the common man is safe with me."

"Atta boy. Knew you were cool." Instead of finding a chair of his own, Tony went to the edge of the window and leaned against the wall. "You know the last thing Mom taught me about money, Bruce? After all that, the next day - Mom gave me a present. Can you guess what it was?"

"A jar of peanut butter?"

That also got a smirk in addition to a headshake. "Mom came up and gave me a coin - just one. An ancient Roman Denarius - I still have it tucked away someplace. Said I needed to remember that there would always be money - but that there wouldn't always be people. The coin was still around - but the people who'd made it? Gone. And what was worth more? Ugliest damn thing - looked like a chewed up piece of gum, and not even worth a pack of cigarettes."

"But the money survived them, and is now worthless. Ironic."

"There won't always be people. There are things money isn't for." Noting Pepper had come into the room to sit down in the window seat, Tony only looked down at her fondly as she gazed off into the distance. "And my mother _loved_ me. Nobody is ever going to be able to tell me otherwise."

It was just the slightest tip of the head, but if Pepper hadn't smiled at that last, Bruce needed to change his glasses. "Tony," she said into the quiet that followed his last statement, "Turn off the ocean. It's too loud."

"Right!" Snapping to attention, Tony clapped his hands and addressed the room. "Jarvis, you heard the lady. Dio, _"Last In Line"_ \- chop chop!"

"AUGH! No, stop! Wait - " Standing to slice through the opening wails of the dramatic metal overture with a knife hand, Bruce found himself in the middle of the room in total silence, the focus of two pairs of surprised eyebrows. "Pink Floyd."

"You're a _"Dark Side of the Moon"_ guy - should have known! Good choice - Jarvis?"

That was when Bruce discovered what a troll Tony's AI could be. Jarvis led with _"Money."_

Of course. Groaning aloud, Bruce fell into the nearest chair laughing. "Tony? This is what money is for. In case you were wondering!"

"It's a gas - "

**Author's Note:**

> *Whew!*
> 
> Yes, I found out about this yesterday. Hope I didn't wreck it too much. Horrific edits, no beta - the works. Yup, guilty as hell.
> 
> Comments adored, bronzed and kept for posterity.


End file.
